


Why Do I Fight

by nadagio



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Future Canon AU, Multi, Politics are messy, Polyamory, Shiro (Voltron) is tired, life isn't black and white
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 18:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13863504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadagio/pseuds/nadagio
Summary: Lotor’s promises for the future have come to fruition, just as he imagined. The universe is no longer at war. So then why, Shiro wonders, is there no peace?





	Why Do I Fight

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look, I wrote Shotura again! Oops. I think I have the dubious honor of being the only person to do have done so? Wow.
> 
> My take on what an "ideal" happy ending for these three might look like.

Sometimes, Shiro questions the choices he’s made. The past decisions that brought him to this – his position as leader of the defenders of the universe and general for the combined military forces of the Voltron Alliance and Galra Empire. He wonders if he’s still a defender, or just an enforcer. He wonders if he was ever a defender at all, or just a weapon.

It used to be obvious. His position was clear and the situation black and white: Zarkon was evil and had to be stopped, and Shiro had the ability and responsibility to stop him. In those days, when Shiro imagined peace across the universe he envisioned something a little more…

Democratic.

Was that naive? Allura was even then, after all, a princess. A product of monarchy. She’s a great monarch, as monarchs go, full of love and benevolence for her people. But a benevolent dictator is still a dictator. There is no room for disobedience in a monarchy.

And Lotor… is the head of an empire. An empire that has already conquered and conquers no more except in trade, yes. But an empire is built on blood, and as lofty and admirable as his goals are – Lotor is ruthless in achieving those goals and cares little for those who get in his way.

Politics are dirty and no one will ever be fully satisfied with the way of things. That is true.

...Maybe, maybe Shiro just wishes he wasn’t the one who had to deal with the discontent. He signed up for an _exploratory_ mission, years ago at the Galaxy Garrison, not diplomacy and peace-keeping.

But "diplomacy and peace-keeping" is the role Shiro plays in the universe now. And today… today, diplomacy failed.

He tries not to dwell on what followed. The death and destruction caused at his own command, at the hands of Voltron – the so-called “defender” of the universe.

Shiro has returned now, it is done, it is over. It is useless to imagine “what if.”

And yet as Shiro walks the halls of the palace on their newly declared homeworld, he can’t help but see himself in place of those who rebelled today. Not so long ago, _he_ was a rebel. Everyone in the universe who he loved and cared for was a rebel. And they could have been killed just as quickly as those who died today. Those who died in the name of “peace.”

He finally approaches the doors to Allura and Lotor’s labs and feels himself relax, slightly, even with his troubled thoughts. He is almost home.

Shiro palms the security mechanism and opens the doors, lingering just after entering. Yes, they are here. As he thought they would be. They are here whenever they can be and Shiro knew of no other plans today.

For a while he watches them in silence, his thoughts quiet. They do not notice him, huddled over their latest experiment and having an involved discussion about some obscure facet of Altean alchemy that Shiro could never dream of understanding. They are so smart and so passionate. He wishes they could study all day, every day, for the rest of their lives.

But they, too, have responsibilities.

He waits, patient, and eventually Allura looks up and catches his figure standing in the periphery of her vision. Her smile is beaming.

“You’re back!” she says. Lotor looks too, and his smile is smaller but no less warm and loving. She says, “Come here, darling, let’s show you what we’re working on.”

Allura reaches out with one hand and Shiro walks forward to take it in his own. Lotor caresses the nape of Shiro’s neck with long fingers and Shiro smiles at them both.

“It won’t explode this time, will it?” he asks, only partly joking.

Allura laughs, and her laughter is a soothing balm to his frayed nerves. Lotor smirks and squeezes his fingers but makes no comment.

“Probably not,” Allura says, “But there is always a chance so best not to get too close.”

Shiro stands between them and listens to the - highly simplified for his understanding - explanation of their work. He nods at appropriate times and mostly comprehends what they’re trying to do, but not so much the why and how. Still, it’s nice. It’s peaceful.

When the explanation winds down and Allura looks like she’s about to get sucked in to furthering the experiment _now_ rather than later, Lotor leans close and draws Shiro’s attention.

“You look tired,” he says quietly, perceptive as always.

Shiro closes his eyes and sighs, presses against Lotor’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Shiro agrees. Some days are better than others but yes, he is always so very, very tired.

“Perhaps a… nap, will make you feel better,” Lotor says, eyes gleaming. He knows very well that Shiro’s exhaustion isn’t the kind that can be solved with sleep, but then… he doesn’t actually mean for Shiro to “nap.”

Shiro smiles and says, “Worth a shot. Will you be with me?”

“Naturally.” His lips brush against Shiro’s cheek before Lotor turns to their lover. “Allura, we’ll be heading to bed. Are you joining us?”

“To -?” Allura pauses, then giggles. She eyes the materials laid out on the table in thought and puts down the tool she was holding. “Yes, I suppose this isn’t terribly urgent. Lead the way, gentlemen.”

Lotor’s arm around his waist, Allura’s hand in his, the three of them head to their bedroom to “nap.”

It does nothing to solve the concerns that plague him, does nothing to solve anything, really.

But…

Their love, their genuine regard for his life and happiness, and their good intentions. They are enough to keep him here. Enough to keep him content and mostly happy. Enough to keep him fighting a never-ending battle he never wanted to fight.

Someday that may change. But for now… this is exactly where he wants to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Haven't really written Shiro before, so this was a fun exercise. Had the thought while writing it that his character kind of reminds me of Steve Rogers (Captain America). Not in the "transformation from smol punk to beef-cake, eager to go to war and fight for what's right" bit, but the "after-ice, So Tired but still earnest and trying, why am I still fighting the same war" bit.
> 
> Anyway. Hope you enjoyed. :)


End file.
